Aside from pruning and the introduction of twenty-one sheep into the Tipsy Hill vineyard for winter grazing, it’s a quiet time in the vineyards at Lot 94 and Tipsy Hill.

This time of year the excitement extends to the winery and bottling hall as we begin to bottle the new vintage whites from 2023 and the 2022/3 red wines. Think of it a little like Christmas – that excitement of new toys to play with and presents to gift.

The first bottling of 2023 is always invariable the Pertaringa ‘Scarecrow’ Adelaide Sauvignon Blanc 2023. Sourced from a combination of 57% fruit from Kuitpo in the Adelaide Hills, planted by my Dad in the 90s and 43% from vines planted by my great-great-great grandfather, Thomas Hardy in the mid-1880s in the Lower Tintara vineyard owned by my cousin John and Helen Hardy. We’re thrilled that John and Helen are now our largest growers, retaining that link to six generation of remarkable South Australian wine history. Coincidentally, these are, we think, the world’s oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines. It’s by far the biggest white wine of the year that we make, demonstrating the enduring popularity of the variety itself.

We’ve been pleased to release in recent weeks the new vintage of the Bec Hardy Adelaide Rose 2023 as we gear up for summer drinking. This is the very first release from our new Lot94 Vineyard on Blewitt Springs Road, next door but one to Tipsy Hill and is from dry-grown vines planted in 1993. This dry style of rose has fast become a popular wine each year, selling out so quickly year-on-year so make sure you get in quick.

That popularity extends also to the new vintage of the Bec Hardy Adelaide Pinot Noir 2023 – from 50 year old Pinot Noir vines in McLaren Vale, as rare as hens teeth! This is a long-standing favourite of ours for home drinking, a perfect drop particularly for midweek and a great lighter style red for the warmer months.

The 22^nd consecutive vintage of the Pertaringa ‘Undercover’ McLaren Vale Shiraz is up next, the Pertaringa ‘Understudy’ McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon right behind it with the ‘Lakeside’ Adelaide Chardonnay 2023.

There’s a short break then before we begin to get to the big guns of Over The Top, Rifle & Hunt, Tipsy Hill and Yeoman Shiraz. There’s the first release under our new Lot94 BSR label, celebrating this exciting single vineyard in Blewitt Springs. The Bec Hardy Sparkling NV will round out the year and more on those very exciting releases later in the year/early 2023.

Happy drinking!

Bec